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The presidential campaign in 2016 was primarily based on media campaigns. Almost every candidate cashed in on the popularity of social networking sites. However, TV ad campaigns remained one of the most common mediums. Moreover, that is why the candidates did not back down form airing their ads on TV and getting involved in news interviews.

Clinton’s Media Campaign Cost Her $140 Million

Hillary Clinton had a massive team for her media campaigns

Hillary Clinton had a massive team for her media campaigns. They were busy tailoring videos of Hillary’s campaigns and in creating satirical videos on Trump. Her media campaigns cost her about $140 million, and she earned nearly $740 million of free media coverage. While Donald Trump rode to victory on the vast amount of media coverage he received. He just spent $10 million in his ad.

They were busy tailoring videos of Hillary’s campaigns and in creating satirical videos on Trump.

Overall the media campaigns in 2016 were massive. Candidates spent around $9.8 billion in their media campaigns. Out of which $4.8 billion was spent on TV ads. This is a considerable amount when taking into regards the amount of free media coverage earned by some candidates.

Clinton’s 7000 TV Ad Slots Did Not Pan Out

Even though Clinton spent so much on TV ads, her ads were not able to get the desired effect. Her ads were mainly concentrated on slandering her opponents. Unlike the ads for some other candidates, Clinton’s ads lacked any discussion on her policies or how she would take charge if elected. This was not exactly favored by the public. In the first week itself, Clinton and her supporters reserved more than 7000 slots on TV. This goes to show how inclined they were in taking every opportunity available to air her ads.

Trump, who was always on TV for some reason, played a safe bet

Trump, who was always on TV for some reason, played a safe bet. Trump was continuously involved in interviews with news channels and had occupied several late-night slots on some popular news channels. His advertisements contained some amounts of his philosophy, and the viewers were able to get a glimpse of what Trump decided to do.

‘Make America Great Again’ Got The Voter’s Nod

His signature slogan ‘Make America great again’ was enthusiastically supported by the people and he did not go easy on propagating that. He spent almost $7 million in airing an ad that featured him and his slogan and pictures of his rallies filled the background. This ad was particularly useful since it did not have any negative characteristics.

TV ads have been the primary source of campaigning for a long time, and the candidates knew better than to underestimate it. Though spending on broadcast went down in comparison to the 2012 presidential run, overall expenditure on media increased. Social media played a significant role and as expected the spending on social media campaigning rose considerably. Almost every candidate had their campaigning website, and they use social media like Facebook and Twitter extensively.

TV ads have been the primary source of campaigning for a long time, and the candidates knew better than to underestimate it.

Even though social media became popular, TV held its grounds. While social media was used to influence the younger age group, TV ads were used to reach out to the broader base of the society. Moreover, at a time when Netflix and other services have made TVs so accessible, it would have been a mistake if TVs were underestimated.

All the presidential campaigns apart from Donald Trump’s invested heavily in media campaigns. Hillary Clinton was the most significant spender among them all, while Trump was the one who received the most massive amount of media coverage. It has been estimated by some sources that about $9.8 billion was spent on media campaigns by the candidates.

Clinton Spent $141 Million on TV Ad Campaign Compared to Trump’s $10 Million

Clinton and her supporters aired several ads on TV to lure in voters

Clinton’s media campaigns were widely targeted and spread throughout the nation. However, Trump’s campaigns were specifically targeted towards a specific section of the community and were very well planned. In comparison, Clinton spent about $141 million on ad campaigns whereas Trump spent only $10 million. Trump made extensive use of data and digital marketing. Clinton could not wholly harness the powers of social media.

Clinton’s media campaigns were widely targeted and spread throughout the nation.

However, the common factor in all the candidates is that nobody ignored the importance of a TV ad campaign. Clinton and her supporters aired several ads on TV to lure in voters. Even Trump aired some TV last-minute ads. He pumped in about $7 million in TV ads itself, showing himself and his famous slogan “Make America great again.” Those ads were highly effective as said by Trump’s digital campaigning head.

TV Ads Down 20% Compared to 2012 Numbers

TV has always been the most popular medium of advertisement. Through it, candidates were able to reach a lot of voters. Almost 87% of the population over 18 watches TV, and thus, the audience base is quite large. While broadcast TV is a technology that is going away fast and it was evident in the campaigns of 2016.Spending on broadcast TV fell about 20% in comparison to 2012. The earnings came down to $4.4 billion from $5.4 billion. Broadcast TV has lost to cable TV and mostly to the internet. Rather than losing interest in broadcast TV, it will be better to say that candidates have found a better tool that is cheap and is available to a lot more public, the internet. Earlier it was mostly used for fundraising and donations, but candidates have realized better. They were able to turn it into an active medium with the help of digital marketing professionals.

Almost 87% of the population over 18 watches TV, and thus, the audience base is quite large. While broadcast TV is a technology that is going away fast and it was evident…

Clinton tried to target the youth, and she knew that Facebook or Twitter would be the best medium. Even Trump actively used his Twitter account to reach out to people, and his digital campaigning team worked extensively in screening some thousands of ads each day to increase their effectiveness.

TV Still Has Strong Followers

TV has always been the most popular medium of advertisement

However, the TV did not lose its touch. Late night TV shows, interviews to news channels, in which Trump was extensively involved and last minute ads. News channels apparently considered Trump as good for their business, and that is why he received such massive amount of free media coverage. The TV has gone through drastic changes after the introduction of services like Netflix and has left broadcast TV far behind.

Donald Trump was undoubtedly one of the most exciting candidates ever who has fought for the president’s position. Moreover, he is the only president who has ever been in WWE and has an official profile on the WWE website. A man with such credentials, when he decides to run for president, is sure to kick up a storm in media houses. That may be one of the reasons why Donald Trump received $2 billion worth of free media coverage.

A man with such credentials, when he decides to run for president, is sure to kick up a storm in media houses.

Clinton Received $746 Million Free Media Coverage, Trump Got More Than Twice That

Trump personally spent about $10 million on his ad campaigns. It is a paltry sum when compared to what Hillary Clinton spent on her media campaigns. However, if we compare the value of free media earned by them, then Trump beats every other presidential candidate not only in 2016 but ever in the history of the presidential campaigns in America. While Clinton received $746 million in free media coverage, Trump has earned more than double that.

A survey was done by mediaQuant where analyzed media coverage of every candidate in the run

A survey was done by mediaQuant where analyzed media coverage of every candidate in the run and then assigned dollar values to the coverage by the advertising rates. The term media includes all types of media, including social media like Facebook and Twitter, print, news channels and broadcasts.

Trump was continuously participating in interviews by phone with news channels, which is quite rare for a presidential candidate. During his run, it was found that Trump occupied the top three popular news channel’s night time slots. Apparently, media houses like them considered Trump as good for business. With his fascinating background and his new attitude, it was indeed so.

Trump was continuously participating in interviews by phone with news channels, which is quite rare for a presidential candidate.

$66 Million From Trump’s Own Pockets Part of Campaign Fund

Trump was a bit famous even before he decided to run for President, but after that decision, he was thrust into the spotlight. People of America were curious to know him better and his ways. He used to use his own money for traveling and used to conduct rallies at his hotels. He even paid a part of the campaign funds from his own money, about $66 million. All these facts were enough to ignite some serious interest in him.

Donald Trump has never been someone to shy away from social media

Donald Trump has never been someone to shy away from social media. He extensively used his Twitter account and the 140 characters to reach out to his supporters and the public. He did not follow the usual rules that were followed by his predecessors and his opponents. Other than Twitter, he also used Facebook for his digital campaign. He had a team that would go through more than 50,000 Facebook ads to see if they were fit enough to be posted. Every aspect of those ads was taken into account to get the maximum effect.

Trump’s Figures Blows Competition Out of the Water

Let’s compare Donald Trump’s free media coverage with some other popular presidential campaigners. From the Democrats, Bernie Sanders has earned $321 million in ad coverage. Moreover, from the Republicans, Marco Rubio received $204 million, and Jeb Bush drew a slightly more free media coverage of $214 million. These statistics are enough to show how far Trump is when it comes to receiving free media coverage.

His entirely different attitude and his slogan “Make America great again” did grab a lot of eyeballs.

His entirely different attitude and his slogan “Make America great again” did grab a lot of eyeballs. However, all those media coverage and popularity do not mean it was all positive. According to a source, 23% of the free coverage earned by him was negative, while for Clinton it was just 12%. However, whatever may be the case, Trump was a genius regarding the use of media and in creating interest in the minds of the Americans. Now its time to see whether the trend continues in the next presidential campaign.

Hillary Clinton had an obvious advantage over Trump in two aspects, the money and the workforce at her disposal. It was not unexpected to see her spend more than double of what Donald Trump spent on his presidential campaigns. Clinton’s digital campaign was backed by several millions of dollars while Trump did not believe much in ads.

Unlike Clinton, Trump did not set out to hire a large team of professionals to manage his campaign.

Clinton tried to target the youth through Facebook and other social media. Her hundred plus strong team aggressively handled the social media campaign. While Clinton was spending her money on digital campaigns, Trump took to the traditional mediums. This does not mean that he did not use any social media. Instead, he was spending categorically. He hardly spent any money in states where Clinton had spent a fortune. While he only spent in those states where he had a majority.

Clinton tried to target the youth through Facebook and other social media.

$1500 Trump Website Generated $90Million Campaign Fund

Trump’s digital director, Brad Parscale, was experienced and a close confidant of Trump. When he was hired for creating a website for Trump’s presidential campaign, he demanded only $1500. Later, through hard work and smart use of resources, he ended up earning $90 million. Unlike Clinton, Trump did not set out to hire a large team of professionals to manage his campaign. He had a small team that comprised of close friends and people who had been working with him for a long time. This resulted in substantial efforts by them on a personal level.

Trump’s victory without spending the big buck can be credited to the fact that he used data very efficiently. He did not go about spending money in every state. He never wanted to target the masses. His team and he knew that for winning only a concentrated effort on a specific section of the society was enough. To do that he did not have to spend much, but he achieved his target.

Using Data Efficiently

By using the available data, he knew which areas and sections to target. This did the trick. While Clinton’s efforts were distributed and Parscale says that they had to work long hours and they had to learn many skills to handle the campaign appropriately. The team used to go through around 50,000 to 60,000 ads daily and screen them for their efficiency. They minutely went through every ad and customised it to reach out to voters as they had to maximise the effects. They tailored every aspect of those ads so that they had the desired results. Due to these persistent efforts the digital campaign was a huge success without any huge investment.

Parscale says that they had to work long hours and they had to learn many skills to handle the campaign appropriately.

$39Million on TV Ads, $29Million on Digital Campaign

Regarding spending, Trump spent close to $39 million to air ads on TV and another $29 million on Parscale’s firm for consultation and for handling the digital campaign. Another payment was for a TV closing ad of two minutes that depicted Trump and the photos of his rallies. That ad was effective, according to Parscale. All these amounts look paltry when compared to Clinton’s spending on digital campaigning. She spent nearly $140 million on these campaigns. She took to Facebook and several other social media sites and TV too.

$66Million Out Of Trump’s Pocket

While Clinton’s fundraisings were filling the campaign’s accounts, Trump had to spend $66 million from his pocket. The business-minded Trump was able to squeeze out the maximum benefit from his available funds. He had an advantage over Clinton in this matter.

The minor expenditure by Trump also is due to his prior publicity. He did not need to spend so much on TV commercials to popularise himself. While Clinton had wealthy backings, Trump had his popularity and his business-oriented thinking.

The End Result

Overall, Trump made calculated moves to ensure that his investments bore fruit while Clinton was spending on every available resources and opportunity. Maybe if she had not faced any troubles like the leak, during the election, she might have gone easy on the promotions. Trump’s campaigns were better managed, and he knew what he had to do to win. He was clear on his objective, and all these factors contributed to his low levels of expenditure and a better digital campaign than his opponents.

During the last few days before the elections, the opinion polls showed that the race was going to be close. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were both going at their own pace and strategy. The presidential campaign of Clinton did not shy away from spending on media, including TV ads. Clinton spent about $117 million by November, while Trump had spent $700,000.

This $117 million was just a fraction of the whopping $1 billion spent by her and her supporters on her campaign.

A Whooping $1B Election War Chest

This $117 million was just a fraction of the whopping $1 billion spent by her and her supporters on her campaign. By June itself Clinton had spent $181.6 million, and Trump had spent $56.5 million. It is enough to show how Clinton outspent Trump on almost all aspects of the campaign. It is important to note that Clinton brought in $185.5 million through fundraising; Trump was only able to get $13.8 million. To make up for this Trump invested his wealth, about $43.4 million in his campaign.

Clinton employed more than a 100 people to manage her digital campaign.

When talking about the money spent on media, the massive difference between Clinton and Trump is mainly due to the difference in their ideology. In one of the campaigns, Trump asked his supporters if ads worked anymore. While Trump was skeptical in spending money on TV ads and other media, Clinton went all out.

$428 Million in Facebook Ads

Clinton employed more than a 100 people to manage her digital campaign. Her primary focus was to reach out to the youths about the age of 20, who were more active on Facebook and other social media. She used Facebook as one of the mediums. The total payout to Facebook for the 2016 presidential election campaigns was estimated to be about $428 million. Evidently, her strategy did not work, and experts say maybe she would have been well off if she had taken a more traditional approach in the states she lost. She had spent $74.8 million by August and about $72 million in the last few weeks alone on her digital and media campaigns, which shows how much emphasis she put into TV ad campaigns. She also spent an additional $16 million in the last few weeks on ads on the internet.

Now the question to be answered is where did this money come

Now the question to be answered is where did this money come. Clinton has an extensive campaign strategy and a group of donors who wrote several checks worth hundreds of dollars. Nineteen percent of her campaign’s money came from four PACs: American Bridge 21st Century, Priorities USA Action, Ready PAC and Correct the Record. The Democratic National Committee and her fundraising committees raised another $750.6 million. Some of the top donors to Clinton’s campaigns were S. Donald Sussman, Haim Saban, and George Soros, to name a few.

$21 Million Spent in Advertising in Just Eight States by July

Now let’s look into her buying efforts. Clinton and her supporters, by July, had spent $21 million in advertising in eight states. The money came partly from her campaign, and the rest was from her major super PAC, Priorities USA Action. In the first week, she and her allies ran about 4000 spots on national TV and broadcast. She outspent her opponents entirely regarding media expenditure.

“…her failure to lure in voters can be attributed to the fact that most of her ad campaigns were not based on policies.”

In spite of spending so much, her failure to lure in voters can be attributed to the fact that most of her ad campaigns were not based on policies. Instead, they were busy slandering Trump or contained something else. Common studies show that ads or campaigns with negative contents did not go down well with the people. She made the fatal mistake of portraying her hatred of her opponents on social media and TV ad campaigns. Her media team created a comic named ‘Trump’s America’, which made a satire of Trump’s policies. Even her campaign managers have commented that the spending that was done was not exactly right and some investments were wrongfully made. If she had not underestimated the power of the traditional medium and if she had focused a bit more on introducing her policies to the voters, then there was a possibility that she would have been able to turn the tables and make her expenditure worth it. By the end of the election, she had only $839,000 left with her.

Clinton had an advantage over Trump with regards to the money that was available to her.

Clinton had an advantage over Trump with regards to the money that was available to her. Her fund raisings were efficient, and she had strong backings. It enabled her to spend more than double of what Trump spent on her presidential campaigns.